An £80,000 programme to boost grassroots women’s rugby has been launched by Merton Council.
Merton SWITCH, part funded by London Borough of Merton and led by the Harlequins Foundation, aims to train ten female coaches and engage 1500 girls in the sport over the next two years.
This comes after rugby coaches and players have called on councils to increase engagement and funding for the sport, with Red Roses’ Ellie Kildunne telling Sky Sports News that girls playing rugby should not be an ‘anomaly’.
She said: “I hope more investment comes into the game at… grassroots level, that more girls pick up a rugby ball, but also that it’s taught in schools.”
Corné du Rand, owner of a Twickenham-based rugby development programme, said the final’s popularity should be utilised better to encourage more people to get into women’s rugby.
He said: “When you’ve got a world cup on your doorstep, and you don’t create opportunities while the heightened focus is there, it is a bit of a waste.”
As part of the two-year SWITCH scheme, Merton Council will distribute 500 free tickets throughout schools to elite rugby matches, while teachers will be trained to coach rugby to support its sustainment for future years.
Participants will be led in resilience courses by Harlequin Foundation staff with mental health training, with regional development manager Jade Shuriah saying the aim is for girls to feel ‘safe, heard, and confident’.
Although all south west boroughs have funded projects for inclusive sports, few have targeted grassroots women’s rugby specifically.
Richmond Council led a Trophy Tour in the run-up to the World Cup Final to bring a local focus onto the women’s game, and the RFU’s Rugby Fest took place last week at clubs in Richmond, Staines, Barnes and Wimbledon.
More general promotion of women’s sport includes the Royal Borough of Kingston’s funding for Asian Girls Run in New Malden, and the Wandsworth Moves Together Grant launched last month.
Paul White, Wandsworth’s cabinet member for environment, said: “The Red Roses’ incredible win and record-breaking viewing figures for the Women’s Rugby World Cup show there is a huge appetite for women to participate more fully in sport.
“We have already set up a working group to focus on women and girls in sport to boost participation, volunteering, coaching and employment.”
The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup reached record viewing figures of 5.8million on BBC last month, with a sold-out crowd filling the 82,000-capacity Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
Featured image credit: Ollie Craig via Pexels
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